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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Just stop all this crap buying?

336 replies

PassingStranger · 26/11/2025 14:15

Woman in front of me today at shop buying a load of secret santa stuff this morning. I heard her telling the assistant. She also mentioned some of it was for a lucky dip. It was all sweets and chocolate too.

Can people not make a stand now and refuse to get sucked into all this crap.

Just because of a fairytale about a virgin birth sometime in December possibly the whole countries been brainwashed for years,into thinking people have got to have presents and secret santas and lucky díps etc?

Does anyone actually need any of this stuff anyway and more chocolate?
Will the world end if we start to push back?

Its so heavily entrenched into people's minds, they feel its Just something they must do.

I look forward to the day more people start to reject these things and think for themselves?

Is this really want I want to do or am im doing it because its something I have always done?

Do people really need what i am buying?
Martin Lewis seems to be on track with it.
Its ugly.

OP posts:
opencecilgee · 26/11/2025 19:05

I thought evryone was skint? Cost of living crisis my arse

opencecilgee · 26/11/2025 19:05

I agree OP

the buying and buying and buying is obscene

HellsBells13 · 26/11/2025 19:05

You may think it is a fairytale however, some of us do not. Insulting and controlling. Let others celebrate how they wish.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 26/11/2025 19:02

TBH I just don’t buy tat. All our decorations are lovely, but we’ve had most of them for many years. All I’ll be buying, decoration-wise, is a fresh wreath (which I’ll decorate) for the front door, and a real tree.
I still buy and send charity cards, and like receiving them.

Except for the sort of ‘treat’ consumables we probably wouldn’t buy for ourselves, we’ve stopped doing adult presents, Nobody wants any more ‘stuff’, and unless you know of something very specific, most adults prefer to choose their own clothes and accessories.

TidyCyan · 26/11/2025 18:54

A lot of it is crap. And is relatively recent too - things like the aforementioned "reindeer dust" and a full set of matching pyjamas. But I really don't think it's an enormous effort to spend £1.79 on a Cadbury's advent calendar for a child.

ticktockitsNCtime · 26/11/2025 18:49

Duckswaddle · 26/11/2025 18:47

Man is the word ‘tat’ arse-clenchingly overused.

No

Duckswaddle · 26/11/2025 18:47

Man is the word ‘tat’ arse-clenchingly overused.

pambeesleyhalpert · 26/11/2025 18:44

Urgh bore off Scrooge

CraftyGin · 26/11/2025 18:23

Imisscoffee2021 · 26/11/2025 17:52

A midwinter feast/festival is older than Christianity, Ho Saturnalia!

Booooooooring

Uricon2 · 26/11/2025 18:19

In the 70's/80's we were still using Gt Gran's precious, fragile Victorian glass baubles on the tree.

I don't know anyone who buys everything new every year. The whole point is getting it all out, infused with memories?

Dontlletmedownbruce · 26/11/2025 18:18

The final straw for me was a packet of reindeer dust for about £7 that was basically glitter mixed with some sort of powder. Honestly it's ridiculous. I hate excesses and i hate the rubbish the shops sell marked stocking fillers. It actually stresses me out when I see it

NeedAnyHelpWithThatPaperBag · 26/11/2025 18:15

I'd imagine that more people will just re-use the stuff they have from previous years, like I presume happened with Halloween this year and leave it to "influencers" to pointlessly update their stuff in a bid to start a new colour style etc trend?

covilha · 26/11/2025 18:12

Voted yabu as you conflate Christ with consumerism
@PassingStranger if you don’t want to spend, don’t. Why make an apparently offensively disrespectful about a world religion to support your stance?

Uricon2 · 26/11/2025 18:07

As for teacher’s presents, my teacher friend lives for every single sweet and cup (she’s never had to buy a cup for her house and they all tell her family she’s the best so she loves them😅)

I'm loving the idea of all the much despised by some "Best Teacher" mugs having a happy home and being appreciated!

MarvellousMonsters · 26/11/2025 18:04

YANBU, over consumption and disposable living boils my piss. Token gesture gifts of tat and nonsense, cheap toiletries, plastic novelty items, all destined for landfill. I’d rather not get a gift, than shite like that.

PeonyPatch · 26/11/2025 18:00

ObtuseMoose · 26/11/2025 14:16

Wind yer neck in love.

This.

Tryingatleast · 26/11/2025 17:59

I like eating chocolate and finally getting to sit down with it for the first time all year. And having an excuse to see my family and friends- as I eat more chocolate! I don’t agree with buying stuff with batteries that stops working after a day but outside of that, our tackiest ‘tat’ has been going strong for twenty years so I don’t begrudge what other people want to buy.

As for teacher’s presents, my teacher friend lives for every single sweet and cup (she’s never had to buy a cup for her house and they all tell her family she’s the best so she loves them😅)

PatThePenguin · 26/11/2025 17:58

I look forward to the day more people start to reject these things and think for themselves?

How do you know she wasn't thinking for herself?

TwooooDoooozenRoses · 26/11/2025 17:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

TorroFerney · 26/11/2025 17:55

Brendezvous · 26/11/2025 17:48

Would you be so disparaging about Islam, for example, as to publicly mock it by calling it all a 'fairytale'? Or Hinduism? Or is it just Christianity?

Of course all the rampant consumerism is unnecessary, but you lost me when you needed to insult the religion of others as well.

Agree, i also feel sorry for poor Martin Lewis who op has dragged into this from something he said in 2018. He was able to say it without insulting Christianity though.

Imisscoffee2021 · 26/11/2025 17:52

A midwinter feast/festival is older than Christianity, Ho Saturnalia!

WinterFrogs · 26/11/2025 17:51

chocolateflyingpenguin · 26/11/2025 14:38

I'm with you OP, can't stand all the mindless consumption and waste of Christmas. Martin Lewis has it spot on about the pointless tit-for-tat giving.

This is the way I see it really

Brendezvous · 26/11/2025 17:48

Would you be so disparaging about Islam, for example, as to publicly mock it by calling it all a 'fairytale'? Or Hinduism? Or is it just Christianity?

Of course all the rampant consumerism is unnecessary, but you lost me when you needed to insult the religion of others as well.

TorroFerney · 26/11/2025 17:47

Could you describe your Christmas op, assuming you celebrate? i think that would be interesting - do you not buy or receive anything?

PolskiFiat · 26/11/2025 17:47

I agree with you about the tat but you’ve been extremely insulting about a Christian feast